------------------------------------------------------ IN THE NAME OF ALLAH ------------------------------------------------------ >>>>>>>>>> I N N O V A T I V E M I N D S <<<<<<<<<< NEWSLETTER 7 December 2001 http://www.inminds.com ------------------------------------------------------ Assalaamu Alaikum Welcome to our newsletter. Its been a while since we've sent a newsletter, inshallah we'll try and make them more regular. With Quds Day so near we dedicate this issue to the struggle for Palestine. CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~ 1> Boycott Israel Campaign - Letter writing Campaign - Boycott Brochure 2> Quds Day 3> Globalisation - Globalisation: Perspective - Muslim Response to Globalisation - The New Rulers of the World - John Pilger 4> Open to Question - Ms Jamshidian, Editor-in-chief of Mahjubah Magazine - Hujjatul Islam Dr.Ameli, Sociologist 5> New Islamic Audio Lectures - Different Approaches to Morality in Islam, Dr.Shomali - Muslim Response to Feminism, Dr.Ameli - Convergence in Muslim Political Thought, Dr.K.Siddiqui 6> Ideal Eid Presents - Best Value Gift - Gift to give a non-Muslim 7> Eid Cards 8> Thought for the Day Boycott Israel Campaign ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We launch the Boycott Israel Campaign. Many people wanting to boycott israeli products and companies supporting the zionist entity have been frustrated with the lack of accurate information as to which companies to boycott. We have carried out extensive research to identify the guilty companies. All our findings with full source references are provided so that you can independently check the facts and understand exactly how each company is contributing its support to israel. Our research is on going and we encourage you to help us with it - If you have any information regarding guilty companies please email us this information with source references to boycott@inminds.com. Boycott Israel Home Page is at: http://www.inminds.com/boycott-israel.html Letter Writing Campaign ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For a boycott to be effective, it must be followed up with a letter writing campaign to inform the companies that we are boycotting their products until they stop collaborating with israel. We start our letter campaign with Selfridges. Selfridges are carrying a range of goods produced on Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. These are labeled "Made in Israel" in contravention of EU excise and customs regulations. These settlements have been built on land expropriated from the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. These are illegal under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention. All you have to do is download the sample letter, sign it and send it off, and of course pass copies to all your community. http://www.inminds.com/boycott-selfridges-letter.html Boycott Brochure ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have a handy Boycott Israel Brochure listing the guilty companies and brands that you may find in a vist to any shopping mall. Download it, print it and share it with your community. http://www.inminds.com/boycott-leaflet.html Quds Day ~~~~~~~~ "I invite Muslims all over the globe to consecrate the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadhan as 'Quds Day' and to proclaim the international solidarity of Muslims in support of the legitimate rights of the Muslim people of Palestine." Imam Khomeini, Ramadhan 1399AH ( August 1979) Quds Day is a day Muslims from all around the world show their support for the oppressed Muslims of Palestine. Rallies in support of Palestine are held in every capital of the world. For the London Quds Day Rally this year details are as follows: Date: Sunday 9th December 2001 Time: 11:15 am Meeting Point: Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner. Closest Underground station: Marble Arch Details: March will set off at 11:45 am sharp and culminate at Whitehall Place. Rally at Whitehall Place on arrival. Contact: ihrc@dial.pipex.com Please show your support by attending. This year rabbi's from the anti-zionist Jewish group Neturei Karta are supporting the march and will address the rally. Our Jewish friends are making the effort, surely we Muslims can also spare just one afternoon for Palestine? Globalisation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Globalisation has become one of the buzz words of the new century. But what does it mean for Muslims. In this special feature we investigate this question. Globalisation Home Page is at: http://www.inminds.com/globalisation.html Globalisation: Perspective ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Globalisation: Perspective we present an overeview showing the dangers globalisation poses for the Ummah and the by-products of it which we can use to our advantage: http://www.inminds.com/globalisation-intro.html Muslim Response to Globalisation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Next we have a excellent lecture on "Muslim Response to Globalisation" by Hujjatul Islam Dr.S. Ameli. It looks at Globalisation from the cultural perspective. Dr. Ameli's research area is the sociology of culture, he provides some unique insights in to the problem: Identity: "When we talk about identity - it means you can distinguish yourself from others. Therefore distinction is the main element of identity so if you have a society where you cant see any distinction between Muslim and non-Muslim it means that there is a crisis." Pluralism: "in pluralism we are saying that everyone is right - you are looking at the truth from one perspective and the other camp are looking at the truth from the other perspective. The sooner this game enters our life then there is no identity because identity is according to belief that the way that I am going is the best way and this is the right way to follow" Listen to this lecture at: http://www.inminds.com/globalisation-muslim-response.html The New Rulers of the World ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The New Rulers of the World is a documentary by John Pilger. John Pilger is a renouned journalist with a very rare quality for his profession - he reports the truth. The documentary investigates economic globalisation and specifically its impact on Indonesia. We highly recommend that every Muslim watches this programme - it shows in a very easy to understand form why there is poverty in the world and the truth about globalisation. Unfortunately due to its content its broadcast will be restricted, for example no American television channel will show it. We present here a glimpse of what the programme contains in the form of a few images and a few minutes of audio: http://www.inminds.com/new-rulers-of-the-world.html "the great sweatshops and banks and luxury hotels in Indonesia were built on the mass murder of as many as 1 million people ... secretly backed by the United States and Britain and by western business leaders it brought to power General Suharto ... within a year of the blood bath Indonesia's economy was effectively redesigned in America, giving the West access to vast mineral wealth, markets and cheap labour, what President Nixon called the greatest prize in Asia." Sweatshops: ".. you work 24 hour shift with just a couple of breaks and then two hours later you start another shift ... famous brands produced here include Nike Reebok, Adidas and Gap" Open to Question ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We launch a new section to our web-site - Open to Question. Inshallah, we will be regularly interviewing interesting people for this section. We launch with two interviews: Ms Turan Jamshidian ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editor-in-chief of Mahjubah Magazine. With readers in 108 countries its perhaps the most widely read Islamic family magazine. Q) How has the formation of an Islamic State effected the role of women, and their level of participation, in Iranian society? A) "... Imam Khomeini (RA) encouraged men to encourage their wives, their sisters, and their daughters to participate in political issues, in social and educational affairs of the society.." Listen to the full interview at: http://www.inminds.com/qa-turan-jamshidian.html Hujjatul Islam Dr.Saied Ameli ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Founder of the Institute of Islamic Studies. As a sociologist,Dr Ameli has carried out an extensive survey on the Muslim community in Britain, he shares some of his research and insights: "More than 40% of young Muslims in Britain choose non-Muslims as their best friend. Why? When I asked them what is your criteria for choosing a best friend? Is it religion? Is it culture? Or you don't consider religion as a criteria? More than 50% said that 'we do not consider religion as a value for choosing a friend'. ... If members of a community cannot consume the culture of the community then that community will be weak, and the other culture that is consumed is then strengthened. This a very serious consideration for the future of the Muslim community in Britain" Listen to the full interview at: http://www.inminds.com/qa-saied-reza-ameli.html New Islamic Audio Lectures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have several new Islamic lectures for you to listen to: Different Approaches to Morality in Islam ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ lecture by Hujjatul Islam Dr.Muhammad Ali Shomali Particularly important lecture for those considering the study of SUFISM or Islamic Mysticism (IRFAN) to enrich their spirituality. Dr.Shomali teaches in both the Islamic Seminary of Qum and the University of Tehran. Aviccena once commented: "Who ever has got used to accepting whatever he or she hears without reason, he or she is no longer a human being", because the most important characteristic of a human being is the power to distinguish - to use their intellect. Listen to the full lecture at: different-approaches-to-morality.html Muslim Response to Feminism ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ lecture by Hujjatul Islam Dr.Saied Reza Ameli This lecture formed part of the International Conference on "Woman in Islam" held in London on 9th September 2001. Wonderful lecture which while recognising the mistreatment of women and the need for them to be given their Islamic rights, warns Muslims against reinterpreting Islam inorder to fit alien secular ideologies like feminism. "From western feminist point of view Islam and in particular hijab, is the main barrier for Muslim woman and in general for Muslim society to become civilized - basically hijab is considered as uncivilized behavour in the western eyes only by giving up this pecular and intrinsic practice would Muslim society move forward .. on the path of western political culture" Listen to the full lecture at: http://www.inminds.com/feminism-muslim-response.html Convergence in Muslim Political Thought ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ lecture by Dr. Kalim Siddiqui Listen to Dr Kalim Siddiqui's insightful lecture given originally in May 1990. This is based on his monumental paper on the "Processes of error, deviation, correction and convergence in Muslim political thought" - a must read for every student of Political Islam. "It is probably no exaggeration to say that Imam Khomeini corrected the political deviation of the entire ummah that began with the advent of umayad rule in terms of the legitimacy of the leadership of the Islamic State Imam Khomeini restored the situation as it existed during the rule of Ali ibn Abi Talib" Full lecture at: http://www.inminds.com/muslim-political-thought.html Ideal Eid Presents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eid is traditionally a time for giving children gifts. But what to get them ? You can guess what our suggestion is! Our range of Islamic multimedia software has something for everyone in it. Best Value Gift ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are on a tight budget - no problem, our popular FUN-LEARN series of Islamic games is ideal for you. With each title priced at a bargain UKP £5 they make an ideal gift to give all your nephews and nieces, etc. Each game has two difficulty levels, making it suitable for ages 8-11 and 11-adult. The games are very graphical and include sound effects. The gamesplay is highly addictive and a two player mode is included so that you can also join in the fun! Three titles to choose from, each teaching a unique Islamic subject: (1) The Book of Allah (2) Life of Muhammad (3) Lion of Allah Each game comes in an attractive presentation jewel case and if you request, we can gift wrap it for you with an Islamic card containing your personal eid message and to save time we can send it directly to whoever the gift is for (on-line orders only). For more information on our Fun-Learn games titles: http://www.inminds.com/fun-learn.html Gift to give a non-Muslim ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eid is an excellent time for dawah, and with it falling so close to Christmas, why not give your work mate or college friend an Eid present? Eternal Signs in Fractals CDROM makes an ideal gift to give a non-muslim. The beauty of the enchanting fractal images has a universal appeal, and the well chosen ayats (all in english) which accompany each image are designed to liberate the viewers mind. Its priced at only £12, for more information see: http://www.inminds.com/signs-in-fractals.html To go to our on-line order form: http://www.inminds.com/orderform.html (all credit/debit card orders are encrypted for your security) Hurry though, there is very little time left for us to ship your order for it to reach in time for Eid. Eid Cards ~~~~~~~~~ With Eid just a few days away, its an ideal time to make use of our Islamic Card Centre. Send your free Eid ecards to your family and friends electronically with a personalised message from our Islamic Card Centre: http://www.inminds.com/cardcentre.html If you want to send paper based Eid cards, we can highly recommend that you buy them from the Islamic Human Rights Commission. They do a great range for a bargain price (6 cards for UKP £3 !) - see them at their web site: http://www.ihrc.org/IHRC%20Eid%20Card/index.htm Best of all, the money raised from the sale of the cards is used to help muslims around the world. Thought for the Day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We found this article on the MSFNEWS mailing list: A Minute of Silence If you are still shaken by the horrifying scenes of September 11, please observe a moment of silence for the 5,000 civilian lives lost in the New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania attacks. While we're at it, let's have 10 minutes of silence for the 230,000 Iraqi civilians killed in 1991 by order of President Bush Sr. Take another moment to remember how Americans celebrated and cheered in the streets. Now another 30 minutes of silence for the 300,000 Iranians killed by Iraqi soldiers using weapons and money provided to young Saddam Hussein by the American government before the great eagle turned all its power against Iraq. Another 6 minutes of silence for the thousands killed by the Taliban troops who were supported and trained by the CIA. Plus 10 minutes of silence for 100,000 Japanese killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Atomic bombs dropped by the USA. Let's take a few more minutes of silence for the Taliban and Northern Alliance fighters, both at one time or another sponsored by the US, who are now killing each other. We've just kept quiet for one hour: one minute for the Americans killed in NY, DC, and Pennsylvania, 59 minutes for their victims throughout the world. If you are still in awe, let's have another hour of silence for all those killed in Vietnam, which is not something Americans like to admit. Or for the massacre in Panama in 1989, where Americans troops attacked poor villagers, leaving 20,000 Panamanians homeless and thousands more dead. Or the thousands of innocent Lebanese civilians killed by Israeli weapons, supported by the U.S. Or for the millions of children who have died because of the USA embargoes on Iraq and Cuba. Or the hundreds of thousands brutally murdered throughout the world by USA-sponsored civil wars and coups d'etat (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Guatemala, El Algeria , Bosnia, Salvador, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine to name a few). Maybe, and although the memory of Americans claims otherwise, someone may remember the USA attack on Baghdad where 18,000 civilians were killed. Did someone see it on CNN? Was justice ever served? Or was there even any retaliation? We hope that Americans finally begin to understand their vulnerability and the cowardly attacks and other tragedies that they have caused around the world. The dead in other places hurt as much as the dead of the Towers. Now, let's give a standing ovation to the true terrorists for the wonderful show of innocence they have put on, shall we? Wassalam Innovative Minds _________________________________________________ TO UNSUBSCRIBE Visit: http://www.inminds.com/unsubscribe.html and enter your email address. TO SUBSCRIBE Visit: http://www.inminds.com/index.html#sub and enter your email address. TO SUBMIT ARTICLES Email them to editor@inminds.com, please ensure that they are original and short. (c) Innovative Minds 2001. All rights reserved. http://www.inminds.com